Paralegals and Administrative Team
Experienced and accessible, our paralegals and staff make the difference.
At Brewe Layman, our paralegals and staff are integral to providing you the outstanding service and legal expertise you deserve. To a person, our paralegals are committed to the successful outcome of your case, working under the exacting direction of our attorneys to meet your needs. We know you’ll enjoy working with our paralegals and staff as they help manage the many details of your case, always just a phone call away.
Jeanne Barrans
Paralegal/LLLTJeanne is a Limited License Legal Technician (WSBA LLLT #114) and is an experienced paralegal, working primarily in family law for many years. Jeanne has an Associate’s Degree in Legal Secretarial Science and post-college advanced certifications through NALS (a professional organization for legal support staff) as a PLS (Professional Legal Secretary) and as a PP (Professional Paralegal) with a specialty certificate in family law.
(The Supreme Court of Washington does not recognize certification of specialties in the practice of law and that the legal title, credential, or certificate is not a requirement of the LLLT’s limited license to practice in the particular fields of law for which the LLLT is licensed.)
Abby Erskine
ParalegalAbby received her Associates in Business Technology degree from Everett Community College in 2005. She joined Brewe Layman in 2000 and in addition to being the firm’s Property Manager, Abby is the paralegal who works on our probate, estate planning, and prenuptial agreements cases.
Fabian Fereshtehfar
Paralegal/LLLTFabian is a paralegal and Limited License Legal Technician (WSBA LLLT #110), specializing in family law. She earned her B. A. in Cultural Anthropology in 2008 from Queens College in New York and her Post Graduate Paralegal Certificate from Highline Community College in 2010. Fabian passed the National Federation of Paralegal Associations (NFPA) exam and became a CORE Registered Paralegal and continued her education at the University of Washington School of Law to become an LLLT in 2016. Fabian has worked as a paralegal for law firms ranging from a solo practitioner to large litigation firms and her passion has always been to help others. She found that her skills were best used in the practice of family law.
Kelli Gomez
Paralegal (Mt. Vernon)Kelli earned her Paralegal Degree from Edmonds Community College and began working as an intern in a small family law office in 2010. She joined Brewe Layman in 2016.
Amy Hagenston
ParalegalAmy earned her paralegal degree from Skagit Valley Community College in 1992. She has worked in the legal field for over 20 years and joined Brewe Layman in 1999 where she focuses on family law cases.
Mary Harris
ParalegalMary joined Brewe Layman in 2017. She comes from a broad background of experience in legal work spanning from 1972. In her home state of New Jersey, she started out with real estate, wills, and contracts. She also dabbled in Personal Injury, Product Liability, and Catastrophic Crashes in Arizona. Settling in Washington state, she continued to work with the same focus and more. In 2009, she found her niche in Family Law and has been devoted to it since.
Jenn James
ParalegalJenn received her ATA degree in Paralegal studies from Edmonds Community College in 2001. She began her career with Brewe Layman in 1996 while she was still in high school and worked her way to her current role as a paralegal, in which she handles all types of family law cases.
Katie Miller
ParalegalKatie earned her Paralegal Degree from Edmonds Community College in 1997. She has worked in the legal field since 1997 and joined the Brewe Layman team in 2000 where she specializes in family law cases. Prior to joining Brewe Layman, Katie worked for the Honorable Larry E. McKeeman (Ret.) in the Snohomish County Superior Court.
Abby Morgan
ParalegalAbby received her Paralegal Certificate from ICDC College in 2009. She moved to Washington and worked in a Seattle family law firm from 2011-2014 primarily as an office manager/paralegal. Abby joined the Brewe Layman team in December 2014 as the office assistant and worked her way up to a paralegal position.
Arletha Northrop
ParalegalArletha earned a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Washington in 1989 and supplemented her paralegal training through courses at Edmonds Community College. After fifteen years of legal experience in an insurance defense litigation firm, she took a nine-year absence from the legal field, before joining Brewe Layman in 2012. Arletha specializes in plaintiff personal injury matters.
Elijah Savage
ParalegalElijah received his Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from the University of Washington. Shortly after, he began his professional life in the field of medicine. After working with patients in a forensic mental health setting, Elijah developed a deep respect for the rule of law and its intersection with those suffering from mental illness. Elijah has since worked as a Family Law paralegal and is passionate about representing his own clients one day.
Debbie Sherlock
ParalegalDebbie graduated from Stanwood High School in 1979 and has more than 30 years’ experience working in the legal field. She joined Brewe Layman in 2005 as a paralegal, where she specializes in family law.
Ty Valdez
ParalegalTy earned a dual degree graduating with an A.S. in Paralegal & an A.A. in American Sign Language from College of the Sequoias in her home state of California. After moving to Washington, Ty worked as a paralegal intern at business law firm, PRK Livengood before joining the Brewe Layman team in August 2022 as admin. She has since been a dedicated and versatile member working her way up to a paralegal role.
Her dream has always been to pursue a career in Criminal Law, but with a newfound passion for Family Law, she now hopes to become specialized in both areas.
Kelly Williamson
ParalegalKelly received her B.S. in Psychology in 1987 from Kennesaw State University in Kennesaw, Georgia, and received her Post Graduate Paralegal Certificate in 1993 from Southeastern Paralegal Institute (an ABA Approved School). Kelly joined the Brewe Layman team in 2001 and offers over 20 years of family law experience.
Administrative team.
At Brewe Layman, our administrative team is an integral part of our firm. Our administrative team is the first point of contact for our clients and we strive to make sure that each client feels welcome and comfortable when they call or visit our office.
Colleen Barrans
ReceptionistColleen joined Brewe Layman in January 2023. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice with a specialization in Forensic Science. Although Colleen spent the last fifteen years in Pharmacy, she ultimately decided that the Criminal Justice System was her calling. While working in Family Law, she hopes to gain a different perspective that will benefit her in the Criminal Justice system.
Sallie Hatfield
Legal SecretarySallie has been with Brewe Layman since 2007. Prior to joining the team, she worked seven years for a sole practitioner in Everett, four years at a law firm in Lynnwood, four years at a smaller firm in Everett, and then worked twelve years at the office of attorney, Elizabeth Michelson. In her early years, Sallie worked at the Prosecuting Attorney’s office while pursuing her Legal Secretary degree. Sallie has continued to bring passion and diligence to the table, and it shows in her work.
Linnea Koivu
Operations & BookkeepingLinnea has been with Brewe Layman since 2004. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration – Accounting from UW in 1993. Before joining the team, she was an assistant state auditor for the State of Washington. In the past, she has also worked as an Internal Audit Manager for a large retailer.
Lillian Lin
Office AdministratorLillian joined Brewe Layman in March 2020, a week before the Covid-19 pandemic shutdowns and started as a receptionist. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Washington in 2013. Prior to joining the team, she worked in Collection Law managing Legal Process Servers. She is known for helping the team at Brewe Layman stay updated on current technology so the attorneys and paralegals can focus on what really matters.
Letitia Park
BookkeeperLetitia received her Associates of Arts in Business from Edmonds College in 2023. She brings over six years of experience in the accounting field, and prior to coming to Brewe Layman, she worked as an accounting clerk and Senior Accounts Payable. Letitia is excited to bring her skills to a law firm environment, and to share her diligence, organization and commitment to customer service with the Brewe Layman team.
Noelle Phillips
Administrative ClerkNoelle joined Brewe Layman in May 2022. She has a background in providing legal aid to low-income communities. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Politics with a focus on Social, Economic, and Environmental Justice from Saint Mary’s College of California. Noelle’s goal is to pursue a career as an attorney in Tribal Law.
Danielle
Zanassi
Receptionist/Administrative Clerk
Danielle joined Brewe Layman in January 2023. Before her time here she spent the previous couple years learning web design and development while working as an administrative assistant. With 15+ years’ experience in customer service she truly enjoys helping people which makes Family Law a great fit for her.
McKennzie Mori
Administrative ClerkMckennzie joined Brewe Layman in June 2024 after receiving her Masters of Jurisprudence from the University of Washington. Prior to moving to Washington State, she was pursuing her education in environmental conservation and restoration. Her goal is to gain practical legal administrative experience to better assist clients with their legal needs.